Background

Nora's uneasy childhood

Nora Valkyrie turned up in Kuroyuri as a homeless orphan who had to scavenge for food. Sometime later, she met Lie Ren when she was being bullied by a group of boys who did not recognize her but could tell she was poor and wearing strange clothes. When Ren's father Li Ren appeared and scared off the boys, Nora ran off with the loaf of bread she managed to find. As Kuroyuri was attacked, Ren saved her with the help of his newly acquired Semblance. Ren gave Nora a wooden mallet he found on the ground as a way to make Nora feel safer. Promising to protect each other, the two have become inseparable ever since. Nora eventually unlocked her Semblance after she was struck by lightning one day and did not die. Years later, once the two had honed and mastered their skills, both Nora and Ren applied to Beacon Academy and were accepted together.

Nora noisily wakes up Ren and chatters incessantly to him about her excitement at being in Beacon Academy while he brushes his teeth, puts away his sleeping bag and eats breakfast. She mentions team formation while they are in the locker room and how they could communicate in the Emerald Forest and suggests using sloth noises to find each other and be on the same team. However, Ren tells her that sloths do not make a lot of noise.

"Boop!"

Shortly after Ren defeats a King Taijitu, Nora makes a "sloth call" before she drops down, hanging upside down from the tree in front of him. Ren comments that he is sure that sloths do not make that sound, but Nora just presses her finger to his nose while saying "boop". Glynda Goodwitch watches the exchange on her Scroll and informs Professor Ozpin the last team has been formed. Glynda comments she cannot see them working well together, but thinks they will do better than Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos.

Nora eventually arrives at the abandoned temple while riding on the back of an Ursa. She then hits it with Magnhild's grenade launcher, killing it and displeasing her. When Ren appears from behind the Ursa and tells her to never do it again, he notices that she is gone and has collected a White Rook relic. She dances with it on her head and proclaims she is the "Queen of the Castle".

After more initiates arrive, Nora and the others flee to an ancient ruin in the hopes of escaping the Nevermore and the Death Stalker that close in on them. Nora fires several shots to distract the Nevermore, and Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Ren save her when the Death Stalker appears behind her.

Nora and the rest fight the Death Stalker, hitting it with a few explosive attacks before Jaune takes charge. He orders Pyrrha to cut off the scorpion's stinger which Ren had loosened, and when it landed on the Death Stalker's head, Pyrrha launched Nora into the air, and she drove the stinger into the Grimm like a nail, presumably killing it. After completing the initiation, Nora is inducted into Team JNPR.

Start of Classes

Nora and her team stick their heads out of their dorm after hearing Weiss' commotion about being late to class. Once the team inexplicably falls over each other, she and her teammates are seen running to class with Team RWBY.

"We'll break his legs!"

Nora eats lunch with Team RWBY and Team JNPR. She tells a story about her recurring dream, during which Ren clears up several of her exaggerations, such as Ursai that were really Beowolves. Pyrrha mentions they can help Jaune Arc with Cardin Winchester, and Nora suggests they break his legs.

One night, Nora jumps on her bed and asks about Jaune's whereabouts. Ren says Jaune has been rather scarce after he started to do favors for Cardin. Pyrrha, however, brushes him off by saying that she is sure Jaune knows what he is doing. Ren and Nora look at each other questioningly. Later as Teams RWBY, JNPR and CRDL visit the forest to collect sap, she drinks a full jar Ren gives her.

Second Semester

While enjoying lunch in the dining hall with her team, Nora flings some food at Yang, who eats it from the air. Nora tosses a large pie toward Team RWBY's table, but it hits Weiss instead of Yang.

The two teams engage in a large scale food fight, starting with JNPR constructing a large structure from tables with Nora at the top, once again singing that she is "Queen of the castle". Nora jumps down and flips an entire table of watermelons at Team RWBY before creating a hammer out of a pole and watermelon.

She manages to take out Weiss and Yang, but Blake uses a string of sausage links to knock Nora into a soda machine. Nora then tosses cans of exploding soda at Blake, and Pyrrha helps with her Semblance. However, Ruby ultimately defeats all of Team JNPR with her Semblance, smashing them against the back wall with a vortex of wind and food.

Glynda enters after the battle and puts everything back in order, telling the kids not to play with their food. Nora looks at Glynda before loudly burping, then laughs with everyone else over the incident.

"We're not actually together-together..."

Nora reads a book in her team's dormroom. She overhears Jaune privately comment on how she and Ren are "together-together", which she embarrassingly debunks. She joins the conversation between Pyrrha and Jaune, who tells the team leader to tell Weiss what he feels. After Jaune leaves, Nora tells a saddened Pyrrha to practice what she preaches.

She attends the school dance with Ren. After Jaune asks Pyrrha to dance and the music escalates, Nora pulls Ren over, and the team dances as a group.

After the teams are assigned to missions, her team meets Team RWBY outside the school, shortly expressing how "hurt" she is Team RWBY gets to go on a world-saving mission without them. Her team sees off Team RWBY on their mission to Mountain Glenn.

Nora makes a grand entrance.

Nora and her team head toward their airship for their mission the next day. After alarms are heard from the city, Team JNPR heads to Vale to help. Nora manages to kill a King Taijitu with a single blow from her hammer and later helps to control the outbreak with the rest of her team.

Nora shares a meal with her team and Team RWBY before Team JNPR's first match. When Jaune says he thinks he will vomit, she enthusiastically tells him to aim at the enemy. She assesses her team's combat skills by saying they have a world-renowned fighter, a ninja, herself being able to bench-press five times her own weight and Jaune, indirectly insulting him twice. At the thought of losing the first round, Nora says they will have to live as outcasts when nobody wants to associate with "Team Lose-iper". She goes on to the thought of being exiled from the school, but she and Ren have no home or parents to return to.

Nora harnesses the power of the storm

Team JNPR's first match in the Vytal Festival tournament is against Team BRNZ of Vacuo'sShade Academy. After the teams fight briefly in the center of the arena, May Zedong, Team BRNZ's sniper, pins Team JNPR after taking cover in the trees on the opposite end of the battlefield. After Nolan Porfirio incapacitates Ren with his electric weapon, Nora makes him hit her with it to charge her Semblance, the ability to conduct electricity to her muscles. By the time he realizes his mistake, Nora has already sent him flying.

When Jaune realizes that the mountain biome has lightning, he tells her to get to the top and charge her Semblance further. She reaches the top and charges, and she transforms her weapon to launch all her grenades at once to destroy May's cover. May is not harmed, but Nora's attack leaves a heart-shaped burn mark in the forest biome. She also hits the other three members of Team BRNZ with an explosive hammer attack.

Jaune attempts to finish the match by calling out team attacks, starting with "Flower Power" for Ren and Nora. Ren is especially confused as to how he is expected to bring "a flower" and how this constitutes a combat tactic. Nora suggests he bring "flour, like in baking". Exasperated, Jaune simply tells Nora hit to Team BRNZ with her hammer, which she does, knocking them clear out of the arena and winning the match.

Nora tries to coach Pyrrha in preparation for her match

Nora and Team JNPR progress through the doubles round and elect Pyrrha to represent them in the finals. Taking it upon herself to prepare her teammate for her match, Nora coaches Pyrrha in physical training but strongly disagrees with Ren when he tries to get her to drink a "healthy" green slime-juice. Nora samples Ren's concoction and spits it out in disgust. Ren and Nora remain quite unaware of Pyrrha's personal turmoil at the time, though Nora does wisely give Pyrrha and Jaune some time together rather than interrupt, allowing the pair to share a moment together.

Nora and the rest of her team are present at Amity Colosseum to cheer on Pyrrha in her match against Penny Polendina, where she witnesses Pyrrha accidentally destroy her opponent.

The Battle of Beacon

Nora is among the group of students present at Amity Colosseum at the beginning of this Grimm attack on Vale. Her weapon flies to the floating arena in a rocket-propelled locker. After a Giant Nevermore breaks into the stadium, she deals a large blow to its head before its eventual defeat. The group takes an Air Bus to Beacon where they begin to fight the attacking Grimm.

During the fight, Nora pushes Ren out of the way of an Atlesian Paladin-290. She takes its attack for him but is still able to fight later on. Nora and Ren rest with their injuries and stand by their decision to leave only when Jaune and Pyrrha return.

Journey to Haven

After the Fall of Beacon, Nora accompanies Ren, Jaune and Ruby to investigate the conspiracy behind the Vale crisis, beginning their journey to Haven Academy.

"Team JNRR!"

Months later, while Team RNJR is still on the road to Haven, a nearby village in Mistral comes under attack by a Geist. Ruby is the first to respond, but Nora, Ren and Jaune quickly rush to assist her, and the team destroys the Grimm together. In exchange, the village leader arranges for the team to be given supplies, and a blacksmith upgrades Jaune's armor.

Afterward, she and the others make their way to Shion, hearing that the village would have an airship they could use to get to Haven. However, upon arrival, they see the village in ruins. The four find a dying Huntsman who tells them the village was overrun by Bandits whose attacks caused panic attracting the Grimm. Jaune and Ruby quickly try to put together a plan to save the Huntsman's life, but Nora is doubtful that he will survive; before the three can turn back around to look at him, he succumbs to his injuries. Nora, with a tone of uncertainty, asks if they should bury him.

Ren urges the team to leave the village as he walks away, and Nora catches up to him. The two stop when they find a hoofprint. They recognize it and they look at each other with serious expressions.

Later, they travel to a village named Higanbana and stay at its inn for the night. Concerning the lack of encounters from the Grimm, Nora believes their luck has turned around. She and her friends continue on in high spirits, not knowing that Qrow Branwen has protected them from Grimm.

Nora fights Tyrian alongside Team RNJR

An unknown amount of time later, they walk into the abandoned village of Oniyuri. They attempt to search for survivors until they realize the village has been abandoned for a long time. Before they can leave, Tyrian Callows, who has been tasked to hunt Ruby, attacks them. During the fight, Ruby charges Nora's Semblance with an electrified rifle shot in order to deal a massive blow to Tyrian, but he intercepts Nora's attack by revealing his scorpion tail. Tyrian proceeds to overwhelm Team RNJR, but before he can land a critical strike on Ruby, Qrow arrives and blocks the attack.

As Qrow and Tyrian fight, Nora tries to intervene with Ren to no avail. After Tyrian flees the scene, she asks Qrow who Tyrian is.

That night, Team RNJR learns about the four Maidens, the two deity brothers, the four relics and Salem. When Nora asks why they are not in a hurry to get to Haven to warn about the impending danger, Qrow answers that the headmaster will be on his guard after what happened to Beacon. Later, when he tries to avoid Ruby's question about him following them discreetly, Nora insists that he answers, reasoning that he has been telling them stories of what they needed to know. The following morning, Team RNJR discovers Tyrian poisoned Qrow during the battle.

Using a makeshift stretcher, they carry him in the hopes of finding help. Unfortunately, they reach a fork in the road and must choose between a mountainous route toward their destination and a lowland route toward Kuroyuri. Nora suggests they split, for Qrow cannot be carried over the mountains. She sets off with Ren on the mountainous path toward Mistral, hoping higher ground will allow them to see a better way to get help. On the way through the mountains, she discovers an open cave filled with walls stained black and various weapons and items from villages across Anima. She and Ren hear a howl and see a strong disturbance in the trees.

Upon arriving in Kuroyuri, Nora and Ren find Jaune, Ruby and Qrow safely before the Nuckelavee Grimm arrives in the town. During the ensuing battle, Ren gets pinned to a wall by the Nuckelavee, and with Ruby's help, Nora saves him from getting hit by its other hand. This leads to the Nuckelavee grabbing Magnhild and using it to smash Nora against the ground until her Aura breaks, which sends Ren into a frenzy against the Grimm. Nora tackles Ren out of the fight and talks sense into him. When the two rejoin the battle, she slays the horse portion of the Nuckelavee with the others' help, and Ren finishes it off.

Ren and Nora holding hands

The smoke that results from the Nuckelavee's disintegration catches the attention of pilots from Mistral who were on patrol, and the group is transported to the City of Mistral, where Qrow receives medical attention and they find a place to stay. On the way there, she sits with Ren, who initiates hand-holding. Once in the city, she and Ren join Jaune in sitting in quiet remembrance of lost loved ones in Jaune's room.

In Mistral

Nora, along with Qrow and the rest of Team RNJR, meets Leonardo Lionheart, headmaster of Haven Academy and is immediately struck by how anticlimactic it is. She learns of the connection between the Maidens and the Relics through the subsequent conversation but stays out of things except to express her readiness to help. Later, when Oscar Pine shows up, she is flummoxed by his presence, protective of Ruby and again flummoxed by the unusual 14-year-old.

Nora watches with the others as Oscar gives Ozpin control of his body and the former headmaster reveals the true nature of his being as a soul and memories transferred into Oscar after a long line of succession. Nora suggests they bring Oscar to Lionheart to convince him they could secure the Spring Maiden, but Qrow and Ozpin deny the proposal, citing Lionheart's unusual behavior. Ozpin plans to train Nora and the rest of her team so they can best ensure the safety of the Relic of Knowledge.

Nora, Oscar, and the rest of Team RNJR train outside. After Ozpin finishes teaching Oscar and Ruby as they spar, Nora elaborates on Semblances, saying her Semblance unlocked when she survived being struck by lightning.

Nora and Yang settle their strength.

While Qrow searches for Huntsmen in Mistral, Team RNJR prepares dinner for them upon their arrival. Nora cuts up carrots but occasionally snacks on them, wondering if Qrow will bring the Huntsmen over since they are preparing a lot of food. She then watches with Jaune and Ren as Ruby unexpectedly reunites with Yang and Weiss. Later, the six of them enjoy a ramen dinner while going over past events, including the battle with the Nuckelavee where Nora points out Jaune's strength. When Weiss brings up the cocktail party disaster, Nora states her disbelief but is startled when Weiss summons a Boarbatusk right next to her. Later, as Yang shows off her new robotic arm, Nora challenges her to an arm wrestle, which Yang wins when she propels it off.

The Battle of Haven

Nora and the rest of the group arrive at Haven Academy to find Professor Lionheart and Raven Branwen. Nora sees Raven's magic for the first time and is taken aback. After Raven opens a portal for Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black and Vernal to step through, the Huntsmen and Huntresses break into fighting. Nora and Ren fight Hazel Rainart, who arrives declaring the presence of the White Fang. Nora stares in disbelief as Cinder impales Weiss with a spear. She rushes with Oscar to Ruby's side to wake her up after Emerald knocks her out.

Nora throws Hazel

As the fighting breaks out again, Nora urges Yang to stop Cinder, Raven and Vernal from getting the Relic of Knowledge. Later, as Jaune heals Weiss, Nora promises Ruby she will protect them from harm. As the battle continues, Nora and Jaune discuss his Semblance, and he concludes he is not healing Weiss but using his Aura to amplify hers. Upon seeing Hazel harm Ren, Jaune urges Nora to help him. She charges at Hazel, but he pins her and grabs her by the head, sending electricity into her. Unbeknownst to him, the lightning strengthens Nora, and she throws him off her. After Ozpin tells her Hazel's Semblance, Nora swings her hammer into Hazel, sending him crashing through the academy's wall. She rushes to Ren's side as he tries to get back up. When the fight resumes, Nora begins to tire out and is left bewildered as to how Hazel can quickly recharge his Aura.

After the battle, Nora watches happily with Jaune and Ren as Team RWBY is reunited.

Journey to Atlas

Nora wants to ask the Relic for more questions

Recovering and packing their belongings back at the house, Nora sarcastically remarks how they are finally able to leave the place as they prepare to travel to Atlas. They then learn about the abilities of the Relic of Knowledge from Ozpin, as it can answer three questions every one hundred years. Nora suddenly gets all hyper and excitedly asks if they can ask for more questions. But she is disappointed when Ozpin tells everyone that the three questions have already been used.

Two weeks following the Battle of Haven, Nora prepares with her friends to ride a train and gets excited to see Anima's northern coastline in the city of Argus. On board, however, Manticore and Sphinx Grimm attack, and Nora and her teammates join Team RWBY in fighting off the monsters. When the train reaches a tunnel, Nora suggests that Ren uses his Aura to mask the emotions of the passengers to get them away from the Grimm. Eventually, the group carries the decision that Nora and her teammates get the passengers to the front cars while Team RWBY, Qrow and Oscar fend off the Grimm in the back. After the cars are cut apart, Nora passes Ruby's signal for Ren to use his Semblance with Jaune's aid.

In Argus

Nora tackles Oscar

Upon arriving in Argus, Nora, Ren and Jaune stay with Jaune's elder sister, Saphron Cotta-Arc and her wife Terra Cotta-Arc. At some point, they attempt to connect with the Argus military base, but it does not go well. The next day, everyone from the detached train makes it to Argus, and Nora tackles Oscar in their reunion outside the city. Saphron meets up with them and takes them to her home, where the heroes get fully reacquainted. Ruby says she has a lot of questions about Jaune and Saphron's relationship, and Nora gleefully says she will fill Ruby in later. Nora shares a concerned look with Ren about Team RWBY going to the Argus military base to find a way to Atlas.

The next day, Nora goes back to the base with the others, where they find that Caroline Cordovin will only allow Weiss to return to Atlas. When the gate shuts on them again and Qrow goes to drink, Nora proclaims that Ozpin will find a solution for them. But back at the Cotta-Arc house, Team JNR learn the truth about Ozpin and Salem, leaving them disheartened that all of their efforts seem to have been in vain. After Jaune's outburst on Oscar, he, Nora and Ren leave to have time to themselves. When everyone regroups, Nora and her team are discouraged when they learn that Oscar is missing.

That night, Nora looks for Oscar with Jaune, Ren and Saphron in the city. When Saphron asks about their mission, Nora vaguely answers that it is hard to talk about it. After Saphron leaves to pick up Adrian, Nora suggests that they get some hot drinks, only to go with Ren as Jaune wanted to be alone. The pair later find Jaune in a nearby park and come across a statue of Pyrrha. As Jaune apologizes for his past actions, Nora comments that he is being unfair with himself about Pyrrha's death, and that she and Ren love him just as they loved Pyrrha. As they look up at the statue, Nora states that they can fight like she did, and the trio leave to meet up with the others. After they return to the house, the group is surprised to see Oscar back, with Nora jumping for joy as the other students tackle the farm boy and inquire about his new outfit. When Jaune later offers an idea of stealing an Atlas airship, Nora is the only one in the group to smile at the idea. After she is disheartened when Qrow turns down the idea, Nora smiles in delight again as Ruby states that they should do things their way.

The Airship Heist

"You get back here with my man!"

As the group puts Jaune's plan into motion, Nora waits on the cliffside with her teammates, Ruby, Qrow and Oscar so that they can be picked up by Maria Calavera and Weiss in the stolen airship. She and Ren later roll their eyes in amusement as Jaune gets excited that the plan starts working out. But when Weiss and Maria are caught by the radar, Nora worriedly suggests that they should go and help Blake and Yang. As they are approached by Cordovin in her Colossus, the group formulates a plan to fight the Commander, using their size and numbers to their advantage. Nora and her teammates run along the cliffside to distract Cordovin while the others try to find a weakness in the Colossus' structure. When Cordovin is pushed onto the cliffside, Nora and Jaune attack the Colossus to destroy the structure. Ren later climbs onto it and almost falls off, and Nora fires at the Colossus and demands Cordovin that she return Ren back. But when the Commander retaliates by swinging the Colossus' arm at Nora, Jaune rushes to amplify her Aura. However, the two are knocked back by the attack and their Auras are broken.

The heroes, now with Blake and Yang, board the airship and head for the Leviathan. Ruby plans to use her Silver Eye powers on the Grimm, so Nora helps distract it from the airship while Ruby rides Weiss’ summoned Lancer. After Ruby petrifies the Leviathan and Cordovin finishes it off, Cordovin allows the heroes to leave for Atlas.

Safe and sound on an airship to Atlas, Nora echoes Yang’s statement that they are there each other. With the Kingdom in view, Nora presses her face against a window to get a good look, and a voice on the radio welcomes them.